If you know one thing about the UK punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, it's this: They led the crowd in a chant of "Death, death to the IDF" while performing at Glastonbury last month. Bob Vylan were on the same stage directly before Kneecap, the Belfast rap group currently facing a whole lot of bullshit for making their own forceful statements against Israel's ongoing campaign of genocide in Palestine. The BBC refused to air Kneecap's performance live, but Bob Vylan didn't face that issue, so they made sure they were heard. For that, Bob Vylan have faced huge and immediate career consequences. The US State Department revoked Bob Vylan's visas ahead of a planned American tour. London police are reportedly investigating the duo for making similar statements at a show in May. Festivals have dropped Bob Vylan from their lineups. Anyway, Bob Vylan don't want you to chant "death to the IDF" at their shows anymore.
As The Guardian reports, Bob Vylan played at London's 100 Club on Wednesday night. The gig, their first since Glastonbury, was announced at the last minute, and it sold out instantly. Bob Vylan performed in front of a Palestinian flag. During the show, vocalist Pascal Robinson-Foster, who goes by the name Bobby Vylan, told the crowd, "I'm gonna try to keep my talking at a minimum today 'cause that's what got us in trouble in the first fuckin' place!" The crowd responded by bringing back the "death to the IDF" chant, and Robinson-Foster said, "No no no no no no no, you're going to get me in trouble! You're going to get me in trouble. Apparently, every other chant is fine. What you said will get me in trouble."
Robinson-Foster then led a "free Palestine!" chat and said, "We gotta stick with the classics. No one wants to hear the new songs anyway." He was smiling huge the whole time.
Later on, Robinson-Foster reportedly told the crowd, "We are a loving band. We love you lot for being here with us. We love the Palestinian people."
Kneecap, meanwhile, are apparently banned from advertising their upcoming Wembley Arena gig on the London Underground. I am doubtful that that'll keep anyone from showing up.
